Sheet-metal display-can.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN XAVIER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB, TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SHEET-METAL DISPLAY-CAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

Application filed June 1, 1907. Serial No. 376,862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN XAvInn, a citizen of the United States, residing in Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet-Metal Display-Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sheet metal display cans.

The object of my invention is to provide a sheet metal display can for crackers of a simple, strong, efficient and durable construction, having a display opening in its front plate closed by a removable glass plate, wherein the front plate may be adequately bridged, braced or stiffened at its middle portion above the display opening, wherein the removable glass plate may be firmly and removably secured in place by rigid guides engaging its upper and lower edges without any movable holders projecting into the interior of the can, and wherein the interior of the can may be smooth and free from exposed sharp edges, either of the glass plate or other parts liable to crumble and fray the crackers.

My invention consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described, and by which this object or result is practically accomplished, the same being more particularly set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sheet metal display can embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8. is a vertical section on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. at is a detail partial horizontal section on line t l of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view showing one corner of the can with the cover open. Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 77 of Fig. 3.

In the drawing, A represents the bottom plate of the can, B, B, B the upright side plates of the can body, D the brass front plate of the can body, G the removable glass plate and K the hinged cover.

The upright side plates B and front plate D are united together at the upright corners of the can by externally folded lock seams b and to the bottom plate A by externally folded lock. seams a. The upright side plates B of the can body are furnished at their upper ends with integral hollow triangular strengthening bars B formed by in tegral horizontal flanges and angle flanges the horizontal flanges overlapping each other at the corners, and soldered or otherwise secured together as indicated at b in Fig. (5. And the upper end of the can body at the front adjacent to the front plate D is furnished with a similar hollow triangular strengthening brace 13, the horizontal flange or member of which is secured by a lock or folded seam to the flange d at the upper marginal edge of the front plate D.

The sheet brass front plate D of the can is provided at its lower half or portion with a display opening D therein, preferably surrounded by a marginal bevel or angle flange (Z provided with a fold d at its extreme edge to further stiffen and strengthen the front plate and give a smooth finish to the display opening therein.

The brass front or display plate D of the can is provided at its upper half or part with a sunken, recessed or depressed portion D surrounded by a marginal bevel or countersink-wall (Z this recess or sunken portion serving to strengthen and stiffen the thin sheet brass front plate of the can and also to form a seat to receive a paper label, the depression serving to protect the paper label from being scratched or injured in shipment or handling of the cans.

The removable glass plate C is held removably in place on the inside of the can so as to snugly close the display opening in the front plate at its lower edge by means of a fixed guide or holder G of sheet metal, having an upwardly projecting lip g furnished with a folded edge g and with a seaming flange g which is interfolded with the lock seam a at the front lower corner of the can, and which seam unites the lower edge of the front plate D with the front edge of the bottom plate A. The glass plate is removablyheld in place at its upper edge by a fixed guide or bridge H of sheet metal extending across and soldered or otherwise secured to the front plate D above the display opening D therein and soldered or otherwise secured at its ends to the adjacent upright side plates B B of the can body. This front-plate bracing and supporting and glass-plate holding bridge or fixed guide H is of an angle form in cross section having a horizontal flange or member 7t reinforced by a fold/2 and a depending or vertical member 71, furnished with a marginal fold it" at its lower edge, the depending or vertical member 7L being adapted to overlap or overhang the upper edge of the glass plate 0 when the glass plate is in position and resting with its lower edge on the bottom plate of the can. To remove the glass plate C, it is first slipped upward until its lower edge will clear the upper edge of the upturned lip g of the lower holder G and then by tilting the glass plate inward at its lower part, its upper edge can be freed from the upper fixed guide or holder H. To look the glass plate from slipping upward, its upper fixed guide or holder H is furnished with a spring catch or keeper H secured thereto prefer ably by a rivet h, and preferably made of brass or spring metal and having a bend or lip If which projects through an opening It in the vertical or depending member a of the fixed guide or holder H, and engages the upper edge of the glass plate C to hold it from slipping or being slipped upward except when the spring catch H is first withdrawn.

As the fixed guide or holder H for the upper edge of the glass plate C extends clear across the thin brass front plate of the can body on the inside and is of an angle bar form or construction and is rigidly and firmly secured at its ends to the adjacent upright sides B B of the can body and as the brass front plate of the can abuts directly against this fixed guide or bridge bar, it effectually braces the front plate of the can, and gives it a very strong and rigid. construction, as well as the can body as a whole; while atthe same time the interior of the can is left smooth and entirely free from any projecting sharp edges liable to fray or dis. integrate the crackers. It will also be observed that by my novel construction and combination of parts, the upper edge of the glass front plate is entirely covered and protected from engagement with the crack ers by the overhanging fixed guide or strengthening bar H which extends across the front plate of the can just above the display opening therein.

The hinged cover K is or may be of any usual or customary construction. Its flange K is preferably integral at three sides, but at the front of. the can the flange is preferably of brass K The cover preferably has a marginal stiffening wire K at the lower edge of its depending flanges, this wire also serving at the back of the can as the pintle of the hinge.

I claim 1. In a display can, the combination with the bottom plate, upright side plates and front plate of the can, the latter being furnished with a display opening therein, of

a removable glass plate, a fixed holder for the lower edge of the glass plate, and an angle bar extending across the front plate of the can at its middle portion above the display opening therein and secured at its ends to the adjacent upright sides of the can, said angle bar supporting the front plate, and the depending member of said angle bar overhanging the upper edge of the glass plate to hold it in place and a laterally withdrawable catch on the outer side of and projecting through said angle bar to hold said glass plate from slipping upward, said angle bar positively holding.

said catch from movement in the direction of the plane of the glass plate substantially as specified.

2. In a display can, the combination with a front plate having a display opening, of a removable glass plate closing said opening, a fixed holder for engaging the lower edge of the glass plate and an upper fixed holder extending across the middle portion of the front plate and having an integral depending member engaging the upper edge of the glass plate, the glass plate being removable by first slipping it in the direction of its plane within and between said upper and lower holders until one edge thereof frees one of said holders, and then tilting it inward at-its freed edge, one of said holders having an opening therethrough, and a laterally withdrawable spring catch entering said opening and mounted upon the outside of and interengaging with the one of said holders having said opening and positively held thereby against movement in the direction of the plane of the glass plate for locking the glass plate in place between said holders, substantially as specified.

3. In a display can, the combination with a front plate having a display opening, .a fixed holder for engaging the lower edge of the glass plate and a fixed holder for engaging the upper edge of the glass plate, said fixed holder extending across the middle portion of said front plate and being secured at its ends to the adjacent side plates and serving also as a brace and support for the middle portion of the front plate, the glass plate being removable by slipping it upward within and between its upper and lower holders until its lower edge will clear the lower holder and then tilting it inward at its lower part, and a movable'catch on the outer side of said upper holder and having a lip projecting through said holder to prevent the glass plate from slipping upward except when the catch is withdrawn from over the upper edge of the glass plate, substantially as specified.

JOHN XAVIER. IVitnesses H. O. SPALDING, M. It. KINNEY. 

